Guinea proposes joint bid with Senegal for 2032 AFCON

August 25 – Guinea has approached neighbouring Senegal over a joint bid to host the 2032 Africa Cup of Nations, four years after being stripped of the 2025 tournament over delays to infrastructure. 
 
The Guinean Football Federation formally wrote to its Senegalese counterpart at the end of July proposing that the two countries combine their bids, according to Senegalese newspaper Sud Quotidien. 
 
Senegal had already begun preparing its own proposal for 2032, while Guinean Prime Minister Amadou Oury Bah backed ambitions to host either the 2032 or 2036 editions. 
 
A joint ticket would give Guinea a more credible route back into the AFCON hosting race. 
 
CAF removed the 2025 finals from Guinea in September 2022 after concluding that the country’s infrastructure and facilities would not be ready in time. Morocco eventually took over the tournament. 
 
In its letter, the Guinean federation pointed to the two countries’ shared border and the ability to pool stadiums, transport, logistics and other infrastructure. 
 
“The geographical proximity of Guinea and Senegal is also a major asset for such a bid,” it said, arguing that the arrangement would make movement easier for teams, officials and supporters. 
 
From Senegal’s angle, much of the groundwork is already being laid through preparations for the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, the first Olympic event to be staged in Africa. 
 
That programme has included the construction and refurbishment of sporting and transport infrastructure across Dakar and surrounding areas – which would be put to the test even more if AFCON was to come to Senegalese soil. 
 
The Senegalese government this month ordered the final stages of that work to be completed ahead of the Games, which begin on October 31. 
 
Senegal has staged AFCON only once, in 1992, while Guinea has never hosted the tournament despite having previously been awarded the 2025 edition. 
 
That history gives the proposed partnership an obvious logic – Senegal will bring a stronger existing events platform and fresh infrastructure, while Guinea gets another shot at hosting after its last attempt ended before a ball was kicked. 
 
There is still a long way to go before CAF chooses its 2032 host, and Senegal has yet to formally accept Guinea’s proposal. 
 
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at harry.ewing@insideworldfootball.com